The same sort of illegal salvaging has already happened to the wrecks of Allied ships sunk in the battle of the Java Sea.
HMS Jupiter (discovered before 2002, had been scavenged long before as she sank in very shallow water)
HNLMS Java, HNLMS De Ruyter (discovered Dec 2002, both wrecks completely disappeared at some point before 2016)
HNMLS Kortenaer (discovered in Aug 2004, mostly gone by 2017)
HMS Electra (discovered 2003, mostly gone by 2016)
HMS Encounter (discovered 2007, almost completely destroyed by illegal salvaging in 2016)
HMS Exeter (discovered 2007, destroyed by 2016)
USS Pope (discovered 2008, by then already almost destroyed except for a skeleton).
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